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Bret Bielema To Arkansas! Comment Count

Brian

This is not a drill:

In a stunning coup, Arkansas will hire Wisconsin's Bret Bielema as its next football coach, Yahoo! Sports has learned.

Bielema, who has taken the Badgers to three straight Rose Bowls, was nowhere on the radar amid months of speculation over who Arkansas would hire.

An announcement will come Tuesday, sources told Y! Sports, but Bielema is not expected to be introduced until Wednesday.

But like adding Rutgers and Maryland will prevent this sort of thing from happening. People in charge of things are just in charge of them, for no reason.

Comments

UMCoconut

December 4th, 2012 at 3:33 PM ^

That was quite the logical leap to try to connect Rutgers/Maryland to Bielema leaving.  A more rational reaction would have been, "wow Wisconsin's losing a lot of talent after this year, Bielema's stock has never been higher, and Arkansas is desperate and is likely backing up a truck of money to him doorstep."

But yeah, let's get crazy with it and try to connect imaginary dots to Delaney and B1G leadership!  

Joined: 08/12/2011

MGoPoints: 2055

jrblue

December 4th, 2012 at 3:41 PM ^

They are top notch.  They are paid accordingly.  The Big Ten is a top notch basketball conference.  I am sensing a correlation between good coaches, high pay, and quality programs. 

Football Coaches in the Big Ten.  They are not top notch.  They are not paid like top notch coaches.  We are not a top notch football conference.  (see SEC for a conference that will pay out the nose for coaches, e.g., Saban, Miles, etc.)

If the Big Ten paid more for high quality football coaches I have this crazy, out of left field,  totally insane notion that the conference may start getting a reputation as a top foot ball conference.  You know football right? Its that sport that allows the Big Ten to give competitive salaries to their BASKETBALL coaches. 

Joined: 09/05/2009

MGoPoints: 157

woomba

December 4th, 2012 at 3:46 PM ^

Bielema was already making about $2.65 mill - certainly not chump change.  

If he really is heading off ro Arkansas I expect them to pay at least in the $3.5M range, which would make him one of the best paid in the SEC as well - right around Spurrier's salary level.

 

Avg pay in the top 3 conferences:

Big 12 - $3M

SEC - $2.7M

Big Ten - $2.3M

Joined: 10/19/2011

MGoPoints: 713

Mon-L

December 4th, 2012 at 3:45 PM ^

What does this have to do with realignment? Guys wants a better job, he's gonna take it. And Arkansas is a better job than Wisconsin. 

Joined: 01/04/2011

MGoPoints: 315

Indonacious

December 4th, 2012 at 3:47 PM ^

I wonder if Chryst has any special Wisconsin clauses in his contract or if he has a big buyout. If they don't bring him back, they seem to be the type that would promote from within.

Joined: 01/03/2012

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mackbru

December 4th, 2012 at 3:51 PM ^

I'm not sure Arkansas is the better job. Granted, football is king in Arkansas. He'll be the state's unofficial governer. But Arkansas has always been a good but second-tier SEC team, forever in the shadow of Bama, LSU, Florida, and Georgia. Wisconsin has been a top-tier program in the country's other big-ticket conference. Arkansas will never get to three straight Rose Bowls. And those fans down there are vicious. His job security will be far worse.

Plus, he has to live in Arkansas.

Joined: 09/01/2009

MGoPoints: 34046

Summoner10

December 4th, 2012 at 3:58 PM ^

Wisconsin is not a top tier Big Ten team, sorry.  They recruit in the bottom half of the conference and are only going to the Rose Bowl this year because of other schools being on sanctions.  I'm sure Bielima see's the writing on the wall so to speak especially considering the huge brain drain on his coaching staff they had this year.... if hes going to cut and run he needs to do it NOW because he won't be a commodity in a year or two.

Joined: 07/19/2010

MGoPoints: 230

User -not THAT user

December 4th, 2012 at 4:31 PM ^

Wisconsin is to the B1G what Tennessee (used to be) for the ESS EEE SEE; an extremely successful program with a small home base that has become a pipeline to the NFL thanks to a HUGE nationwide recruiting effort.

For better or worse, they've got most of what are now considered BCS bowl wins for the B1G over the last 20 years.  The only thing separating them from TSIO is a lack of blowout losses to ESS EEE SEE teams in national championship games.

Joined: 06/05/2012

MGoPoints: 2422

Summoner10

December 4th, 2012 at 3:53 PM ^

I dont see the big deal.  Wisconsin is a second tier big ten school with an athletic department that just doesnt spend at an elite level.  Arkansas has elite facilities and an AD willing to spend at an elite level.  I dont know why people keep saying Arkansas is a 2nd tier SEC program.... they've been a consistent top 10-15 team for most of the last decade, they have very solid tradition, their previous coach (Petrino) was one of the hottest names in CFB with much better recruiting track record then Winconsin.  Plus, we all know Bielima is a snake so we're shocked that hes cut and run for more money?  ok....

Joined: 07/19/2010

MGoPoints: 230

Summoner10

December 4th, 2012 at 4:08 PM ^

yes, second tier.  They recruit and spend like a second tier program.  It's a joke that they're in the Rose Bowl this year, and Bielima has only coached teams with his players for a very small portion of the last decade. so a solid portion of that success goes to Alvarez imho.  Bielima is not a program builder which I think Arkansas is after

Joined: 07/19/2010

MGoPoints: 230

Lionsfan

December 4th, 2012 at 8:16 PM ^

Virtually every player on the last 3 Rose Bowl teams was a Bielma recruit. Alvarez announced in June 2005 he was leaving after the season, so that 2005 class was his last. Unless there was a few 6 year players, anybody from the '05 class would have had '09 as a final year

Joined: 06/03/2011

MGoPoints: 2528

Needs

December 4th, 2012 at 4:03 PM ^

People are saying Arkansas's a second tier program because ... it's a second tier program, at best. They've never won the SEC, have only played in one BCS game, which they lost, and sit in a relatively talent poor state compared to its division rivals (it's probably the worst state for talent in the SEC West). Now with A&M in the West, it's at best the 4th best school, historically, in its division.

 

Joined: 08/05/2008

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befuggled

December 4th, 2012 at 4:24 PM ^

In 2010 they gave Ohio State its only loss. In 2006 they went 12-1, with their only loss to us (although admittedly they didn't play Ohio State). 

He's also been able to recruit decent quarterbacks who work in his system. I believe the only reason why he went with a transfer this year was injury, but O'Brien didn't end up finishing the season anyway.

I'm not a big fan of Bielema, but he's done a good job with the talent he's managed to recruit. Even if he is a horrible game and clock manager.

Joined: 07/01/2008

MGoPoints: 9907

Needs

December 4th, 2012 at 4:48 PM ^

I'm increasingly convinced that paying attention to recruiting makes people misunderstand more things than it helps them understand. Wisconsin's recruited like this for 20 years. During that time, they've won 70% of their games and gone to 6 Rose Bowls. They know what type of players they want and do a good job turning them into highly competent players.

Joined: 08/05/2008

MGoPoints: 11624

Blueinsconsin

December 4th, 2012 at 4:02 PM ^

But Brett Bielema said the B1G doesn't want to be like the SEC in any way shape or form (speaking about recruiting tactics of Urban Meyer).  Now he chooses to go up against Miles and Saban....makes sense

Joined: 08/24/2011

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UofM Die Hard …

December 4th, 2012 at 4:04 PM ^

This confuses me..arent all his ties in the midwest?  He went to school in the midwest and has only coached there.  I dont see this ending too well.

 

Interested to see how much money this is for, probably huge. 

Joined: 03/10/2011

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